Calm waters and cooling tradewinds have rightfully earned The
Bahamas an international reputation for sailing, with regattas and
races held year-round. The islands are actually the birthplace of
the Gulf Stream, a phenomenon that also accounts for their
astonishing variety and abundance of marine life. Legendary
gamefish draw sport fisherman in search of the "big one," and more
than 50 international fishing records have been set in these
waters.

The great writer / fisherman Ernest Hemingway considered the
Bahamian island of Bimini a home. The same conditions that make
these islands so amenable to sailors and fisherman draw visitors to
the vast and diverse underwater parks. With more than 5% of the
planet's reef mass, The Bahamas offer inexhaustible pleasures and
challenges to snorkelers and divers. The natural beauty of the
water extends to the thousands of miles of shoreline, which has
some of the world's most stunningly beautiful and unsullied
beaches.

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Greece

Greece mainland and the Greek islands are one of the favorite
holiday destinations in Europe. In fact, Greece comes in the 15th
place in the world rating of tourist destinations, since, according
to the National Statistical Service of Greece, it receives more
than 15 million tourists every year, after countries such as the
USA, China, Spain and Great Britain.

Greece is popular for its clean beaches and its long history.
There are hundreds of archaeological and historical sites to visit
in Greece that gloriously depict the country's past. Its landscape
is mainly mountainous and the terrain is not very fertile, except
for some valleys scattered along the Greek mainland. However,
Greece is surrounded by water, in particular the Aegean and the
Ionian Sea. The country consists of more than 1,400 islands and
islets, but only 169 of them are inhabited.
These Greek islands form, one by one, a beauty of nature. They are
the most popular Greek destinations, especially in summer.

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Croatia

Tourists visit Croatia to experience the country's extensive
coastline and well-preserved coastal Renaissance towns. Eight areas
in the country have been designated national parks, and the
landscape in these areas is afforded extra protection from
development. Several companies run flotillas of yachts along
different stretches of the coastline, which is also popular with
divers.

The country is currently being advertised under the motto
The Mediterranean As It Once Was.

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Grenadine Islands

The Grenadines is a Caribbean island chain of over 600 islands
in the Windward Islands.

They are divided between the island nations of Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines and Grenada. They lie between the islands of Saint
Vincent in the north and Grenada in the south. Neither Saint
Vincent nor Grenada are Grenadine islands. The islands north of the
Martinique Channel belong to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and
the islands south of the channel belong to Grenada.

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Florida

Tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Warm
weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attract about 60 million
visitors to the state every year. Florida was the top destination
state in 2011.

Amusement parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a
significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the
largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme
parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; it, and
Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and other major
parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular
tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months.

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Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo, in the principality of Monaco, is a favorite port
of call for many cruise visitors to the Mediterranean. Monte Carlo
is tiny (only three kilometers long--less than two miles) and sits
on a large rock named Mont Des Mules overlooking the sea. A road
separates Monaco from France, and you hardly realize it when you
are moving between the two countries. There are about 30,000
residents of Monaco, of which the citizens, called Monegasques,
make up about 25 per cent of the total populace.

During 2003, Monte Carlo completed a new cruise ship pier in the
harbor at Monte Carlo. This new pier makes it easier to visit this
exciting Mediterranean port for the thousands of cruise lovers
whose ships include Monaco as a port of call.

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Virgin Islands

Each of our three major islands has a unique character all its
own. St. Croix's Danish influence is perfect for visitors who
prefer a laid-back experience. The historic towns of Frederiksted
and Christiansted offer quaint shops, charming pastel buildings and
refreshing cultural diversity. From horseback riding near
18th-century sugar mills to playing golf on one of the island's
three scenic golf courses, you're sure to find something to suit
your tastes.

Two-thirds of St. John is a national park. Its comfortable pace
is perfect for enjoying the island's world-renowned beaches such as
Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay and Salt Pond Bay. A nature lover's
favorite, St. John offers hiking, camping, specialty shopping and
breathtaking views. If you take just a few hours to visit this
island, you'll find it well worth the trip.

St. Thomas boasts one of the most beautiful harbors in the
world. As the most visited port in the Caribbean, downtown
Charlotte Amalie offers elegant dining, exciting nightlife,
duty-free shopping and even submarine rides. Though it's full of
energy, especially in Charlotte Amalie, this island also possesses
numerous sublime natural splendors, such as stunning views of the
Caribbean from 1,500 feet above sea level.

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Italy

People come from all over the world to Italy for its rich art,
cuisine, history, fashion and culture, its beautiful coastline and
beaches, its mountains, and priceless ancient monuments, especially
those from the Greek civilization and Roman civilization.

Rome, as the capital of the powerful and influential Roman
Empire attracted thousands to the city and country from all over
the empire, which included most of the Mediterranean, Northern
Africa, mainland Great Britain (England) and the parts of the
Middle East. Traders and merchants came to Italy from several
different parts of the world.

The largest island in the country, Sicily, is a diverse and
popular tourist island, famous for its archaeology, seascape and
unique Sicilian cuisine.

Northern Italy boasts several important tourist attractions,
such as the canal-filled city of Venice, the cities of Verona,
Vicenza, Padua, Trento, Bolzano, Bologna, Ferrara, Piacenza, Parma,
Ravenna and Trieste. There are also several mountain ranges such as
the Dolomites, the Carnic and Julian Alps and first-class ski
resorts like Cortina d'Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio. These four
regions offer much to see and do. The area has a unique cuisine,
including wines and dishes such as Prosecco and Tiramisu in Veneto
and Cotechino, Ragu and Parma ham in Emilia Romagna, San Daniele
ham and white D.O.C. wines in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Naples is the most visited city in the southern Italy, and the
ruins of Pompeii are the most visited sights. Other important
tourist destinations include the Amalfi Coast and Ravello, Apulia
and the beaches and sights of Calabria, as well as up-and-coming
agritourism make this less visited region become increasingly
popular.

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Spain

In Spain, the mild climate during the whole year and the
extensive sandy beaches of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean as
well as of its two archipelagoes (the Balearic Islands and the
Canary Islands respectively) have been attracting tourists from the
cold territories of Northern Europe for decades.

The Spanish coasts suitable for summer vacations include, from
north to south:

The Costa Brava, the Costa Daurada and the Costa del Maresme,
in the autonomous community of Catalonia, very popular between
tourist from inland Spain and France, including famous resorts like
Salou and the city of Barcelona, that also has the largest harbour
of Spain.

The Costa del Azahar, Costa de Valencia, whose capital city is
Valencia and the Costa Blanca, (one of the most developed coastal
areas of Spain, extremely popular for tourists from the United
Kingdom and Germany, with Benidorm as the leading summer city of
Spain), all in the Valencian Community.

The Costa Calida in Region of Murcia, Mediterranean Coasts and
the Mar Menor (Small Sea), an inner salt lake separated to the
Mediterranean by a large sandy strip.

The Costa de Almería, the Costa Tropical, the Costa del Sol and
the Costa de la Luz, all in Andalusia. Some of its summer towns are
famous worldwide, like Marbella in Málaga Province or Sotogrande in
San Roque, Cádiz, both destinations of tourists and summer
residents with big purchasing power. Málaga is also one of the
largest harbours in Spain.

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Rome

Situated on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and
the Tyrrhenian Sea, the "Eternal City" was once the administrative
center of the mighty Roman Empire, governing a vast region that
stretched all the way from Britain to Mesopotamia. Today it remains
the seat of the Italian government and home to numerous ministerial
offices. Rome has 2.7 million inhabitants while the metropolitan
area is home to around 4.5 million.

Architecturally and culturally, Rome has some contrasts - you
have areas with pompously huge majestic palaces, avenues and
basilicas, which are then surrounded by tiny alleyways, little
churches and old houses. The centre of Rome is mainly ancient, and
modern buildings are usually concetrated in the suburbs, unlike
Milan (where new and old architecture is combined both in the
centre and the outskirts). You may also find yourself walking from
a grand palace and tree-lined elegant boulevard, into a small and
cramped Medieval-like street.

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France

Paris is the most visited city in the world. Paris attracts
tourists with museums such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, and
attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the cathedral
of Notre-Dame, and Disneyland Paris.

In the eastern parts of France there are skiing resorts in the
Alps. Notable French cities are Avignon with the Popes' palace,
Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice,
Saint-Benoît-du-Sault on the Loire River, Toulouse on the Garonne,
Strasbourg on the border with Germany, and the beautiful city of
Nantes.

All over France rental accommodations and hotels are available.
For example, the English like to spend their summers in the
Dordogne valley, the Spanish vacation in Biarritz and St Jean de
Luz on the Basque coast, and the Irish often visit Lourdes.
Tourists also travel to see the annual cycle race, the Tour de
France.

France's Mediterranean beaches on the French Riviera, in
Languedoc-Roussillon, or in Corsica, are famous. Away from the
mainland tourists are French Polynesia (especially Tahiti), the
Caribbean islands Martinique, Guadeloupe and others.

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Puerto Rico

Tourism has been a money revenue industry for Puerto Rico for a
number of decades given it is host to diverse natural wonders,
cultural and historical buildings, concerts and sporting
events.

The fact that visitors from the United States do not need a
passport to enter Puerto Rico attracts a large number of tourists
from the mainland United States each year. Other groups of tourists
that visit Puerto Rico in significant numbers include Mexicans,
Dominicans, Venezuelan, Spaniards, French, German and Asian
tourists.

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Turkey

Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical
sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean
Sea coasts. In the recent years, Turkey has also become a popular
destination for culture, spa, and health care tourism. In 2010,
Turkey attracted more than 28.6 million foreign tourists.

Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots not only in
Turkey but also in the world. There are thousands of hotels and
other tourist-oriented industries in the city, catering to both
vacationers and visiting professionals. Turkey's largest city,
Istanbul, has a number of major attractions derived from its
historical status as capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
These include the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the "Blue Mosque"), the
Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the
Dolmabahçe Palace, the Galata Tower, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice
Bazaar, and the Pera Palace Hotel. Istanbul has also recently
became one of the biggest shopping centers of the European region
by hosting malls and shopping centers, such as Metrocity, Akmerkez
and Cevahir Mall, which is the biggest mall in Europe and seventh
largest shopping center in the world. Other attractions include
sporting events, museums, and cultural events.

Beach vacations and Blue Cruises, particularly for Turkish
delights and visitors from Western Europe, are also central to the
Turkish tourism industry. Most beach resorts are located along the
southwestern and southern coast, called the Turkish Riviera,
especially along the Mediterranean coast near Antalya. Antalya is
also accepted as the tourism capital of Turkey.[2] Major resort
towns include Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kuşadası, Çeşme, Didim and
Alanya.

Lots of cultural attractions elsewhere in the country include
the sites of Ephesus, Troy, Pergamon, House of the Virgin Mary,
Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Trabzon] (where one of the oldest
monasteries is the Sümela Monastery), Konya (where the poet Rumi
had spent most of his life), Didyma, Church of Antioch, religious
places in Mardin (such as Deyrülzafarân Monastery), and the ruined
cities and landscapes of Cappadocia.

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Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser
Antilles chain of islands, east of Puerto Rico and running
southward to Dominica, being part of the West Indies. They are
situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western
Atlantic Ocean.

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Winward Islands

The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser
Antilles, within the West Indies.

The Windward Islands are called such because they were
more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the
Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the West
Indies blow east to west. The trans-Atlantic currents and winds
that provided the fastest route across the ocean brought these
ships to the rough dividing line between the Windward and Leeward
islands. Vessels in the Atlantic slave trade departing from the
African Gold Coast and Gulf of Guinea would first encounter the
southeasternmost islands of the Lesser Antilles in their
west-northwesterly heading to final destinations in the Caribbean
and North and Central America. The chain of islands form a part of
the easternmost boundary of the Caribbean Sea.